COVID 19 ‒ POTENTIAL IMPACT ON THE NAVAL POWER PROJECTION

Abstract

The naval power projection has the role of protecting the maritime interests of a country, of transmitting strong messages to both allies and enemies, of shaping the security environment so as to avoid the escalation of conflicts in a particular maritime space. In this article, we have analyzed how the projection of the elements of naval power, especially warships, is affected within the established missions and international commitments assumed because of the current background of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have established as a research hypothesis that the naval forces remain the main tool to ensure the continuity of the projection of naval power in different maritime areas against the background of the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. To validate the research hypothesis, we have established two research directions that focus on analyzing the importance of applying the concept of naval power projection and how the COVID-19 pandemic influences the actions of the naval forces. The lessons learned from the challenges faced by the naval forces during this pandemic will in the future have a major impact on the organization, training, allocation of forces and development capabilities so that personnel exposure is kept to a minimum.